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WomanSpace, May 1990

txsau_ms00042_00030 1

Volume 2, Number 7
Lesbians in the '90s: Speaking Out
Okay.· This is it. For months you have been
reading and hearing about this Texas Lesbian
Conference that's happening in San Antonio in May.
This month. Finally. I'd like to tell you a little bit
about the behind-the-scenes activity that has been
going on since September to prepare for this. Well,
before then, actually ....
At the first Texas Lesbian Conference in Dallas,
San Antonio women were approached about the
possibility of hosting TLC2. We thought about it,
hesitated a bit, and were saved by Houston women who
went back to Houston and began planning immediately
for the second gathering. A lot of the hesitation on
our part was based on the fact that San Antonio had
little base for communication with each other and
had few strong women's groups from which to draw
volunteers. At the time, the Tuesday Night Discussions
at The Circle and the Women's Sunday Socials had a
consistent base of supporters, and the Latina
Lesbianas in ELLAS were organizing.
After the first conference and what was learned
there, the LISA (Lesbian Information San Antonio) Line
was born to provide a recorded message to local women
and visitors about activities and organizations for
women in San Antonio. It was modeled after LIL, the
Lesbian Information Line in Dallas. We started to find
out about each other. The LISA Line is three years old
this month, thanks to your continued support.
About a year and a half after the birth of LISA,
WomanSpace was begun to provide a written forum for
our community. In order to function as a non-profit
organization, the phone line and the paper joined the
Esperanza/Interchange Network, which was already
sponsoring ELLAS, the Latina Lesbiana organization.
This move served to further strengthen the resources
and outreach we had with peace and justice groups in
San Antonio.
When the San Antonio women went to the Second
Texas Lesbian Conference in Houston, they were again
approached as the logical location for TLC3. Some of
us looked at each other and asked ourselves, "Do you
think we can do it?" We weren't sure, but we nervously
and excitedly agreed to take it on.
It was time test the coalition building we had
been doing over the last year. A small group out at
the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in August
agreed that it would happen here and we would begin
to gather volunteers. At the first meeting at the
Resource Center, 25-30 women were present. These women
represented a cross section of the lesbian camrnunity
of San Antonio. Some of them have been active in
various lesbian/gay organizations or other peace
and justice causes and, for some, this was a new
experience in any activism.
The energy in the meetings was contagious, as we
discussed the possibilities of location, speakers,
Published by the
Women'S Community
~_,~~~ ofSanAntonio
May 1990
workshops, etc .... Later, as we narrowed things down
and big sections of the conference began to gel, we
could really believe that· it was going to happen, and
that it was going to be successful. The excitement
only builds as we go to the mailbox and pick up the
dozens of registration forms that come in daily.
We are all learning alot about ourselves and the
San Antonio Lesbian/Gay Community. There are women
who, for various reasons, cannot or will not attend
the conference, but are willing to support it by
providing money or housing for out-of-town women. The
men in the community have supported it and understand
our need for a meeting like this, not to "keep men
out," but to provide a forum for women to discuss women • s
concerns. We have begun building coalitions and making
our lesbian/gay voice a stronger one in San Antonio.
I am proud to be a part of this third annual
Texas Lesbian Conference, "Lesbians in the 90's:
Speaking OUt." What organizing this conference has
done for the local women's community can only be built
upon and strengthened. We can be proud of the work we
have done and we must continue to learn from each
other, to work together, and speak out! See you there.
--Martha Prentiss
TLC Focus: Leti Gomez
The Third Annual Texas Lesbian Conference is
pleased to have Leti Gomez as a keynote speaker.
Leti Gomez (Letitia) is a native San Antonian and
very proud of her Texas roots, especially her Mexican
~eritage. ~ile living in Texas she was actively
1nvolved w1th gay and lesbian groups in San Antonio
and Houston. In 1987, upon receiving her Masters in
Urban Studies from Trinity University, she moved to
washington, D.C. to participate in the Presidential
Management Internship Program. Since moving to
Washington, she has been working with others to
establish LLEGO, the national Latino lesbian and gay
organization that was founded during the 1987 March
on Washington.
Leti currently serves as Co-chair of LLEGO. In
addition, she has been involved in the planning
~tings ~or the National Lesbian Conference, is past
v1ce-pres1dent of the Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian
latino organization, Enlace, and currently sits on the
board of the D.C. Women's Council on AIDS.
(The two other keynote speakers for TLC3, Joan
Nestle and Ivy Young, were profiled in earlier issues
of WomanSpace. )

Volume 2, Number 7
Lesbians in the '90s: Speaking Out
Okay.· This is it. For months you have been
reading and hearing about this Texas Lesbian
Conference that's happening in San Antonio in May.
This month. Finally. I'd like to tell you a little bit
about the behind-the-scenes activity that has been
going on since September to prepare for this. Well,
before then, actually ....
At the first Texas Lesbian Conference in Dallas,
San Antonio women were approached about the
possibility of hosting TLC2. We thought about it,
hesitated a bit, and were saved by Houston women who
went back to Houston and began planning immediately
for the second gathering. A lot of the hesitation on
our part was based on the fact that San Antonio had
little base for communication with each other and
had few strong women's groups from which to draw
volunteers. At the time, the Tuesday Night Discussions
at The Circle and the Women's Sunday Socials had a
consistent base of supporters, and the Latina
Lesbianas in ELLAS were organizing.
After the first conference and what was learned
there, the LISA (Lesbian Information San Antonio) Line
was born to provide a recorded message to local women
and visitors about activities and organizations for
women in San Antonio. It was modeled after LIL, the
Lesbian Information Line in Dallas. We started to find
out about each other. The LISA Line is three years old
this month, thanks to your continued support.
About a year and a half after the birth of LISA,
WomanSpace was begun to provide a written forum for
our community. In order to function as a non-profit
organization, the phone line and the paper joined the
Esperanza/Interchange Network, which was already
sponsoring ELLAS, the Latina Lesbiana organization.
This move served to further strengthen the resources
and outreach we had with peace and justice groups in
San Antonio.
When the San Antonio women went to the Second
Texas Lesbian Conference in Houston, they were again
approached as the logical location for TLC3. Some of
us looked at each other and asked ourselves, "Do you
think we can do it?" We weren't sure, but we nervously
and excitedly agreed to take it on.
It was time test the coalition building we had
been doing over the last year. A small group out at
the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in August
agreed that it would happen here and we would begin
to gather volunteers. At the first meeting at the
Resource Center, 25-30 women were present. These women
represented a cross section of the lesbian camrnunity
of San Antonio. Some of them have been active in
various lesbian/gay organizations or other peace
and justice causes and, for some, this was a new
experience in any activism.
The energy in the meetings was contagious, as we
discussed the possibilities of location, speakers,
Published by the
Women'S Community
~_,~~~ ofSanAntonio
May 1990
workshops, etc .... Later, as we narrowed things down
and big sections of the conference began to gel, we
could really believe that· it was going to happen, and
that it was going to be successful. The excitement
only builds as we go to the mailbox and pick up the
dozens of registration forms that come in daily.
We are all learning alot about ourselves and the
San Antonio Lesbian/Gay Community. There are women
who, for various reasons, cannot or will not attend
the conference, but are willing to support it by
providing money or housing for out-of-town women. The
men in the community have supported it and understand
our need for a meeting like this, not to "keep men
out," but to provide a forum for women to discuss women • s
concerns. We have begun building coalitions and making
our lesbian/gay voice a stronger one in San Antonio.
I am proud to be a part of this third annual
Texas Lesbian Conference, "Lesbians in the 90's:
Speaking OUt." What organizing this conference has
done for the local women's community can only be built
upon and strengthened. We can be proud of the work we
have done and we must continue to learn from each
other, to work together, and speak out! See you there.
--Martha Prentiss
TLC Focus: Leti Gomez
The Third Annual Texas Lesbian Conference is
pleased to have Leti Gomez as a keynote speaker.
Leti Gomez (Letitia) is a native San Antonian and
very proud of her Texas roots, especially her Mexican
~eritage. ~ile living in Texas she was actively
1nvolved w1th gay and lesbian groups in San Antonio
and Houston. In 1987, upon receiving her Masters in
Urban Studies from Trinity University, she moved to
washington, D.C. to participate in the Presidential
Management Internship Program. Since moving to
Washington, she has been working with others to
establish LLEGO, the national Latino lesbian and gay
organization that was founded during the 1987 March
on Washington.
Leti currently serves as Co-chair of LLEGO. In
addition, she has been involved in the planning
~tings ~or the National Lesbian Conference, is past
v1ce-pres1dent of the Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian
latino organization, Enlace, and currently sits on the
board of the D.C. Women's Council on AIDS.
(The two other keynote speakers for TLC3, Joan
Nestle and Ivy Young, were profiled in earlier issues
of WomanSpace. )